Image Retention on TVs: Burn-in

Image retention (also called burn-in when it is permanent) happens when an image gets imprinted on screen after being displayed for an extended period. Once the image retention occurs, you will notice it after a change of content or input. After a change of content, the imprinted image will appear as a faint remnant, visible through the new content. As an example, this is most obvious when elements from a video game such as life meters are still visible on top of a TV show after playing a video game for a long period. This is really more an issue for people playing video games, using their TV as a PC monitor, or watching sports and 24-hour news channels due to static banners or logos. This test only concerns temporary image retention which disappears over the course of a few minutes, however, we are also performing a long-term burn in test which you can see the current status of here.

When testing for image retention we take photos at predetermined times, to analyze the amount of the original image that gets retained after being displayed for a specific time.

Test results

When it matters

The image retention test is relevant when some parts of the screen are static, like when playing video games, using the TV as a PC monitor or using the TV as a display during an office meeting. It is also important when watching long sporting events or news coverage due to static graphics. It tends not to be a problem for people who only watch normal TV shows or movies since in those cases it is very rare to have a static image displayed on the screen for an extended amount of time.

Picture taken before the burn-in scene

Sony X700D

First picture after the burn-in scene

Sony X700D

It takes a while of displaying a static image before image retention begins to be visible, so depending on your use it may not be noticeable. This is why it is usually going to be gamers or PC users who experience it the most as they often have parts of the screen that are static, like a progress bar or the start menu from a PC. While the static image is being displayed the retention won't be visible, as it is only when changing content such as watching a movie that the image retention is going to be noticed.

Our tests

Image retention test video

Image Retention test video

Our image retention test video is made to test the resistance of the TV panel to image retention. It is made up of 3 different specific scenes:

15% gray scene: These scenes are used as a pause to take the test pictures needed to analyze the image retention. There are 7 pictures in total, the first one is the reference picture taken before the 10-minute burn-in scene and 6 more, taken at 2 minutes interval to document the recovery. The 15% gray makes any retention as visible as possible. On other colors or saturation, the retention is usually less visible.
10 minutes burn-in scene: This is the scene that really tests the TVs which are prone to image retention. It tests specific colors and backgrounds to make it most obvious which are most affected. Note that a moving white square is used on each side to try to mitigate the dimming that some TVs apply when there is a static image for a long period.
RGB recovery scene: This is made up a 3 full screen red, green and blue alternating images, and is intended to get each of the 3 sub colored pixels to return to their usual performance.

To evaluate the image retention and stay consistent across all TVs, we adjust the backlight on the 15% gray scene to 2 cd/m², with the TV at calibration settings and with any local dimming features disabled. We play the video and take pictures of each 15% gray scene.

IR after x min recovery

To determine the amount of image retention, we compare our reference image taken before the static logos with pictures taken after the 10-minute burn-in scene. These recovery photos are taken at 2-minute intervals, to provide an idea of the amount of image retention over time. We can then determine how much image retention is left.

TVs which continue to display image retention after a longer period of time (such as 10 minutes) generally present more of an issue, as the retention continues throughout normal content. This is worse than a TV which recovers quickly.

Related Settings

Contrast: Maxing out the 'Contrast' setting will generally increase the risk of image retention and burn-in on both LCD and OLED TVs.
OLED Light: The brighter you set the luminosity of the screen on an OLED TV, the more image retention there will be.

Conclusion

Not all TVs suffer from image retention. Here is the information about the different type of TVs:

IPS TVs: IPS TVs are the most common type of TV that suffer from image retention. Not all IPS TVs have the same degree of image retention though. See our table above for comparisons.
VA TVs: VA TVs are practically all free of image retention.
OLED TVs: OLED TVs are another type of TV that suffer from temporary image retention, and in some rare cases the image retention can be permanent. OLED image retention does not look the same as that seen on IPS TVs since the display technology is not the same. Unlike IPS TVs, OLED TVs come with a special function in the TV operating system especially aimed at getting rid of more durable image retention.

In any case, whatever the type of TV, image retention is usually not a permanent problem but more a temporary annoyance.

Questions & Answers

13 ANSWERED QUESTIONS

I wanted to reach out to you concerning my experience with LG OLED E6. It is a wonderful TV flawed by image retention. I have had this TV for 7 months now. First weeks of me having the TV I noticed image retention. This image is still there after 7 months, multiple clear panel noise, contacting LG about it with a negative response taking no responsibility.

I know there are other people who have posted about this and I also read a lot in your posts that you say image retention on these TVs is not permanent, but in this case it really is.

The IR is most noticeable when the TV displays warm colors such as red or orange. It also noticeable in blues and greens, it blends much more into other colors such as gray or black.

I am attaching photograph so you can take a look. This has been a very bad experience for me as I have always believed posts about the image retention going away after normal usage I have tried everything possible but my IR is completely permanent. It is faint but very permanent! Sent photos outside and inside a game where you can see the same horizontal bar.

I believe other users should be warned more about this.

Thanks for all your great reviews

Thank you for letting us know. This is the first instance of permanent image retention we have seen in the 2016 OLEDs. We have updated the articles with this new information.

Mar 31, 2017 Report Error

I have been playing quite a bit of Call of Duty Zombies and noticed this on my screen after not playing for 3 days. it is the HUD from the game. I have ran a clear panel noise about 4 times and tried a RGB color video to try and get rid of it but i guess it's burnt in. Do you have any suggestions? The TV is an OLED65B6P.

Thank you for contacting us and showing our readers. Unfortunately it is unlikely to go away completely if the clear panel noise hasn't helped, but may fade slightly over time. Your best bet is to contact LG for a replacement.

Aug 14, 2017 Report Error

I think the word should get out that OLEDs can suffer severe burn in. I just bought a used OLED55B6P on ebay and the red channel has severe burn in. I think it must have been a display floor model somewhere.

The images say it all, this is supposed to be a blank red screen, but instead there are massive dark areas.

This is probably not an issue for the common user but it should be known to the used TV market. Since you have a lot of visibility in the TV world I thought you should know.

Thank you for contacting us and sharing these images. We will be performing a long-term burn in test over the course of a year to measure the degradation of various panel technologies over time. Look for news in the coming weeks.

Aug 18, 2017 Report Error

Hi, I'm considering purchasing the LG C7P. My only concern is image retention. I do watch sports & CNN where there are static images. But you don't state how long those images need to be up on the screen to create an image retention. How long would the CNN logo or a score of a ballgame need to be up on the screen of an LG OLED C7P, in order to create image retention?

Our image retention test video is shown on the screen for ten minutes, by which point the image retention is almost as bad as it will get if left on for longer periods. So if the sports scoreboard is shown for ten minutes straight there will be very faint image retention, though this should only be noticeable when viewing grey slides and looking very closely, and should be unnoticeable when watching normal content. The retention will clear up after a few minutes of watching normal content. Because of this image retention when watching most sports is a non-issue, it's only a concern for extreme cases such as a bright video game HUD on a dark background being shown for multiple hours, or during PC monitor use.

To test this we just ran our football sports clip (with scoreboard) on a loop for a half hour on the C7 and B6, and afterwards only very faint image retention was visible on the B6, and almost none was visible on the C7.

Jul 11, 2017 Report Error

I have just one question about the Sony X700D 55 inch. I've been researching it for some months now and I'm considering purchasing because I think it provides a great value for its size and picture quality. However, on the review you did, you mentioned that the image retention on this TV is pretty bad. I plan on using this TV for gaming, television, and an occasional movie. But I found the image retention could be troubling. Is the image retention on the X700D really that bad? Should I just go with X800D instead?

Yes the image retention is pretty strong, but it is not permanent and you may notice it only in really specific conditions, like if your video game has a lot of static portions of the screen and then you change to watch normal TV. So if you know that from the get go and are aware of it, then it won't be too much of a surprise to you if you notice it and in the end, it should not be too problematic.

As for the X800D, we only tested the 43" version which is a VA TV and is image retention free. The 49" version is a IPS TV and may be prone to image retention, but since we did not test it we cannot really comment on it.

Jan 27, 2017 Report Error

Hello RTINGS-TV-Reviewers,
I found an ERROR - '...we no longer accept questions outside the US...' - REALLY? Some delay in case of high volume of questions seems OK - but that restriction is unacceptable!

Maybe one important question no US citizen is interested in...:
What about the best and expensive OLED displays if you play a game for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week - is the image retention temporary or permanent? How long does it take for a full recovery after a 4 hour game session if you want to watch a movie? Is the recovery time dependent on the playtime? Could you add a 'real life burn-in test' for gamers?

Maybe you decide to answer the question or extend your nearly perfect tests.
Thank you very much

a citizen of the internet

It is unfortunate that we have to restrict questions to the US. We used to accept questions worldwide, but we received too many questions to keep up.

Image retention in modern TVs is almost never permanent under normal use. The image retention will be worse the longer the image is left but after it's been left for ten minutes it doesn't change much after that. The image retention after leaving an image for four hours will not be much different than after ten minutes like in our test. However in some rare cases the image retention can last for much longer; OLED TVs often have a Clear Panel Noise feature for those cases, where the TV spends an hour clearing the image retention while it appears to be off.

Mar 01, 2017 Report Error

What TV is the best for gaming and has less image retention?

TVs with VA panels usually have no image retention at all. If you're looking for a 55" TV, the TCL P607 is VA and one of the best TVs for gaming with its very low input lag. For 65" the Sony X930E is great, and the cheaper X850E is also very good.

Sep 18, 2017 Report Error

I recently bought an LG B6 OLED and after 6 months of use, I noticed a burn in the left comer of the channel logo. I want to have it repaired or replaced and I don’t care that LG says that’s it's from bad use ... It’s a tv I paid 2000 euros to get and watch TV series and movies, not to get worried each time if it has been on for over an hour. I can’t believe that they don’t cover it in their warranty. What can you do? Please help as I have all the settings set to prevent this. Picture shift, clear panel noise, and eco mode to shut off after 4 hours. They also told me that a note on page 7 of the user manual warns about static images, which I don't understand since I bought the TV to watch it, not to babysit and turn off every hour. The manual only mentions image sticking, not burn-in. Please help.

Thank you for your question, and sorry about the issues you're experiencing with your TV. Unfortunately, we aren't aware of ways to help permanent image retention on OLED TVs beyond the features provided with the TV. Since you are in Europe, you should also be covered by your 2 years legal warranty bound to the trader. I would suggest contacting the store from which you purchased the TV instead of LG as they should provide you with a repair, replacement or refund if you show them that the product became defective with normal usage (more information here). Otherwise, it may be possible that the credit card used originally for the purchase of the TV might offer a better warranty service than LG directly.

Oct 27, 2017 Report Error

I just purchased a TV that was on display at Best Buy. The TV has heavy image retention. I am not sure how to get rid of it. I have left the TV off for hours. Today I tried doing a clear panel noise twice in a row and nothing (I am even running one now just in case). Like the previous fellow which included the pictures, my TV has a big LG logo burned in along with some other marks. It's distracting with warm colors. Any suggestions?

Running the Clear Panel Noise feature is a good way to remove image retention, as is watching regular content with lots of movement and bright colors. If the retention is still present after a few days of normal to heavy use, it might unfortunately be permanent. A TV that is on display at a retailer often shows an image with static elements for hours or even days on end at high screen brightness, which is the situation that is most likely to produce heavy image retention.

Aug 07, 2017 Report Error

If a TV has a setting that is supposed to reduce image retention, do you have that setting on or off when you run your image retention tests? I'm particularly curious about whether you tested the Sony A1E with or without its pixel shifting setting, since your review doesn't say one way or the other, so far as I could see. Thank you!

We test with all such settings on. The E7P in particular had a lot of shifting, on a Windows desktop the left or right edge of windows would be cut off by ~4 pixels.

Oct 30, 2017 Report Error

I recently read your reviews for the LG OLED B7 and C7. Excellent reviews that were very helpful, but I have one question about the image retention section. The B7 scored significantly lower than the C7. Your review mentions that the panels for the B7 and C7 should be the same and that the difference in Image Retention might be Panel Variance. I am thinking about purchasing a B7 but if the C7 has much less image retention I would rather have that. Should I go with the B7 and hope the panels are the same, or is it better to go with the C7? I guess I am a little confused about the large amount of image retention in the B7 compared to the C7 when they are supposed to be the same panel?

We believe that the difference is due to the variance between individual TVs and not caused by intentional segmentation by LG, but we don't have a large enough sample size to know. If you don't mind the slight differences between the two TVs, go for the B7. Image retention will vary from panel to panel depending on the manufacturing tolerances set. We've recently bought 6 TVs for our new Real life OLED burn in test and have found the image retention varies significantly between them (with some of them performing worse in our test than the B7 we tested).

Feb 28, 2018 Report Error

I just purchased the LG oled B7A and have a question about the Pixel Refresher option. Do you think that running it could degrade picture quality? I noticed some image retention while looking at an Xbox One menu that was grey. There were a couple large rectangles coming through and instead of giving it time I immediately ran the Pixel Refresher option. I tried it for about 10 minutes at first, not realizing how long it took, I interrupted it, I then ran it again for about half an hour then interrupted it again. After that I played some more Xbox, watched a movie or 2, then set it to run the Pixel Refresher when it turned off and went to bed. After it completed, I seem to notice a slight banding effect on occasion and some grainyness that I didn't notice before when watching the same old sources. What do you think? Think it might be all in my head?

We don't expect the compensation cycle (Pixel Refresh) to affect the picture quality much, although it is probably better to keep it going for the entire length to get the best results. Generally, it is not necessary to use this feature to get rid of temporary retention, as it should settle after a few minutes of rest/use. The TV itself does its own, more lenient compensation whenever it is left off for a while, so it is not necessary to use the manual pixel refresh feature very often.

Nov 20, 2017 Report Error

The OLED TV's have image retention reduction features like pixel shift which is meant to move the pixels while viewing to help reduce retention right? Is this Pixel movement noticeable at all? Does it create a blurry/unfocused or less sharp image? Or is inperceptible?

The pixel shift is not constant, so it only happens every so often (the image will shift left after 15 mins, for example). Because of this, it is not noticeable when using the TV normally.

Nov 27, 2017 Report Error

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Image Retention on TVs Burn-in